“A little more us? Orrin, we are us. Are you feeling all right?” Her tone is lighter, which tells me that she’s teasing, trying to lighten the moment. She does that a lot, but it’s not going to work this time. It’s time for all my real, and it’s about to be unleashed on her.
Keeping her on my lap, I manage to dig in my pocket for my phone. Pulling up my playlist, I hit Play, and Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” begins to play.
Jade tosses her head back in laughter. “Are you asking me to be your girl, Orrin Kincaid?”
“Yes. All mine. No one else, just me. Forever.”
“Forever is a long time.”
“Not nearly long enough.” I close the distance between us and press my lips to hers. “Jade Sanders, will you be my girl?”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of seeing this guy. He’s sexy as hell and owns his own body shop. He’s kind of important to me.”
“Yeah?” I don’t bother to hide my grin.
“Uh-huh, I’d go as far as saying that I’m in love with him. I’ve just been too nervous to say it first.”
“I need to hear you say it,” I tell her. “I need those three words from these lips.”
She moves to straddle my hips, resting her hands on my shoulders. I grip her hips, holding her to me. “I love you.”
“Thank fuck.” My lips crash with hers and call me crazy, but this feels different. Knowing that she loves me and that she finally knows that I love her, our kiss feels like… more. I kiss her like it’s the first time and the last time. I never want to stop kissing her. Eventually, I do pull away so we can both catch our breath.
“There’s something else that I need to tell you.”
“I’m listening.”
“It’s not that I didn’t ever want to invite you to Sunday dinner. I didn’t want you there until I knew you were mine. It’s a sacred event in our family, and well, it was important to me that we were solid. That you loved me as much as I love you before I brought you there.”
“I don’t have to go. If you’re not ready, I don’t have to go,” she repeats.
“Baby, I was ready to take you after our first date.” Her eyes widen. “I know it was fast, but I fell hard. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”
“I think we’ve been reading the same book, Orrin. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I didn’t want to scare you away.”
“We’re a pair, huh?” I ask, pulling her into my chest. “How about from now on, we agree that even if we’re scared, we say what we’re feeling, what we’re thinking. It’s important for our future to keep the lines of communication open.”
“Our future?”
“Yeah, I mean, what if our son or daughter asks to go somewhere and you say no, but I say yes. That puts us working against each other. We need to talk about these things so we can be a united front.”
“Our son or daughter?” she parrots.
“Or all girls, or all boys, I don’t care, really. I’m speaking hypothetically here.”
“About our future children?”
“Yes. Catch up, baby. I’m saying we need to be on the same page from here on out. I could have told you weeks ago what you mean to me, and we could have been having dinner with my family all along. Instead, I’ve endured not spending Sunday nights with you and listening to my mom ask when I was going to bring you with me, and my brothers giving me shit, thinking it was because you didn’t want to be there with me.”
“Orrin, surely you knew better than that.”
“I did, but it still pissed me off, which was their plan.”
“You all really like to razz on each other, huh?”
“Yes, but no one else is allowed to. Well, you can, and Ramsey, of course, and I guess Deacon by association. I mean, they are getting married now.”
“I love you. I love you and your big loving family.”
“I love you too. Speaking of my family, we should get going. We’re going to be late.” I kiss her one more time before she stands from my lap.
I wait for her to grab her purse and phone and follow her out the door to my truck. “Are you nervous?” I ask, glancing over once we’re on the road to see her wringing her hands together.
“What should I expect?”
“Lots of loud laughter, ribbing from my brothers, a crushing hug from my mom and my dad, and lots of good food. I think Dad’s grilling burgers.”
“Orrin! I forgot the cookies that I made. We have to go back. I can’t go to your parents for dinner empty-handed.”
“It’s fine. I told you that you don’t have to bring anything. Just you.” I reach over and give her leg a gentle squeeze.